The Way to a Geek's Heart
by koinekid
Summary: In the proud tradition of "How Jennifer Made the First Move" and "Operation Rodney and Jennifer," a series of standalone adventures or short series documents how a shared interest in geek culture brings together Rodney and Jennifer. Newest Update: Comics
1. Is Through Comics Part 1

**Disclaimer: **MGM owns SGA; KOI does NOT.

**Spoilers: **Shrine

**Summary: **In the proud tradition of _How Jennifer Made the First Move_ and _Operation Rodney and Jennifer_, a series of standalone adventures or short series documents how a shared interest in geek culture brings together Rodney and Jennifer.

_**DaniWilder**_ beta read half this installment. **_Koinekid_** appreciates her help.

**Stargate: Atlantis**

**The Way to a Geek's Heart**

**1. Comics**

**by koinekid**

"In case you've forgotten, your little blonde buddy is a sci major too."

Rodney McKay stopped in his tracks, allowing his companion for the last half hour to breeze by. Several steps ahead, Jennifer Keller whipped around, her long golden hair swirling about her head like a shimmering halo. More often of late the Head of Medicine had taken to wearing her hair down while on duty, a change Rodney liked. If it _was_ a change. Before his infection with the Second Childhood parasite, he'd seldom paid attention to such trivialities as Jennifer's hairstyle or the oh-so-enticing way her uniform molded itself to her curves. Nearly losing his life had altered the way Rodney thought about a lot of things.

"_Little blonde buddy_?" he said.

Jennifer closed the distance separating them, a practical necessity if the soft-spoken doctor wished to be heard in the crowded mess. "You don't recognize the quote? And here I thought my lunch date was a real comic book geek."

_Date?_ Rodney grinned stupidly. "A Batman geek, maybe – and one who's more into the movies and TV series than the comics."

"I beg your pardon, then," Jennifer said, her Midwestern lilt adding a smoothness to her tone that made her so-called date weak in the knees. She explained, "In _Amazing Spider-man_ issue 53 Gwen Stacy makes that reply when Peter Parker invites her to a science expo."

"You're a fan of Spider-man?" Rodney raised a skeptical brow.

Jennifer shook her head. "Not really, but Uncle George was. He caught me watching the cartoon once and tried to suck me into his world."

"Looks like he succeeded if you can quote from specific issues like that." Rodney indicated the exit. Though reluctant to part from Jennifer's company, he didn't want her to be late returning to her work because of him. She hated being late. "Maybe we should?"

Nodding, Jennifer hooked her arm around his and led him toward the door. Rodney became acutely aware of several pairs of eyes resting on the two of them as they passed. Sadly, his chief romantic rival, Ronon Dex, was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for someone?" Jennifer said.

Rodney blushed. Were he a braver man, he'd tell her that having her on his arm made him the envy of half the men on base. Instead, "So, your uncle got you hooked?"

"Tried to anyway. He was always inviting me and Dad to conventions. And he got me a signed copy of _Amazing_ 53 for my birthday one year."

"That's kind of nice," Rodney said.

"For him. _I _wanted a stethoscope."

* * *

When they reached Rodney's lab, Jennifer released his arm and faced him. "To answer the question that originally started this 'journey into mystery': Yes, I'd love to watch the meteor shower with you tonight."

"Great! That's great."

"Do you want to meet at the observatory, or..." She trailed off, eying him expectantly.

_Or what?_ Rodney grunted, wishing women, especially this one, were easier to read. "The observatory will be packed. I was thinking somewhere a little more..." _Intimate. _"...private. Maybe the balcony near the west pier. I could set up a telescope. Could be fun."

"You don't need to monitor everything with all those fancy instruments?"

"Someone does, but I'm not the only astrophysicist on Atlantis."

Jennifer feigned shock. "Did I hear that right? Is Rodney McKay putting trust in someone other than himself? I'm impressed."

Rodney frowned. "I trust people."

"Who?" Jennifer planted hands on her hips. "I want names, Mister."

"Maybe I'm taking a lesson from my fellow department head," he shot back, grinning.

That got her to smile.

"Besides," Rodney continued. "I'm configuring the sensors to take readings automatically. Provided nobody screws with the settings, I'll have everything I need tomorrow morning."

Jennifer chuckled. "I suppose that's a start."

"I trust you," he mumbled. "Let you operate on me in a cave for God's sake. A damp cave."

Jennifer squeezed his hand. "I'm only teasing. Tell you what: How about we have dinner first? Pick me up at 1800. We'll make a proper date out of it."

Rodney nodded. So wrapped up was he in the flirtatious atmosphere that he almost leaned forward to kiss her. Catching himself, he smiled awkwardly. "See you at 1830."

"Eighteen _hundred_, Rodney. On the dot."

"Right. Sorry, 1800."

Jennifer walked away, and something – he wasn't sure what – compelled Rodney to ask, "Jennifer, who was Gwen Stacy?"

A ghost of a smile crossed her face. "Gwen was Spidey's future girlfriend. I'll see you tonight."

Rodney shook his head as he watched her depart. _Damn, _he mused. _Should have gone for that kiss._

_**To be continued**_

_**Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**_

_**Have a suggestion for a future topic? Let the author know.**_


	2. Is Through Comics Part 2

**Disclaimer: **MGM owns SGA; KOI does NOT.

**Note: **Some dialogue adapted from _The Amazing Spider-man_ Vol. 1 No. 53, published October 1967. Spider-man and all related characters are property of Marvel Comics Group. All rights reserved.

Thanks again to _**DaniWilder**_, the best beta a boy ever had. All that is good about the story attribute to her; all that is ill to _**Koinekid**_.

**Stargate: Atlantis**

**The Way to a Geek's Heart**

**1. Comics**

_**Part 2**_

**by koinekid**

_"Stand aside, you helpless bumbling fools! No one can stem the matchless attack of – Ronon Dex!"_

_Four metallic tentacles emerged from beneath the Satedan's heavy brown duster. To Rodney's horror, the extra appendages seemed to go on for miles, sweeping aside men and machinery and leaving devastation in their wake._

_"Someone stop him!" shrieked a wild-haired professor. "He mustn't escape with the nullifier!"_

_A team of armed guards surrounded Ronon and tried to get him in their sights. "Too many innocent people are clustered around!" one of them growled. "We can't risk a shot!"_

_Rodney dove to the floor, barely dodging a swinging tentacle. He'd wanted to show Jennifer an evening she'd never forget, but this was ridiculous. He searched the panic-stricken crowd until he spotted his date. In the confusion of the attack, he'd been separated from Jennifer and their chaperone, Carson Beckett. Dressed in a tweed blazer and horn-rimmed spectacles, Carson was urging Jennifer to retreat to safety. But Jen refused to budge._

_"I won't leave without Rodney!" she insisted._

_One dose of Jennifer's steely determination banished Rodney's fright. With a resolute nod he seized the plackets of his dress shirt and tugged them apart, sending buttons flying and revealing his costume: a black Airman Battle Uniform, fully stocked Tac Vest, the Canadian flag proudly emblazoned on a shoulder, and – most importantly – a pair of dark sunglasses. Hey, every superhero needs a mask to hide his identity, right?_

_Before sliding the shades into place, he caught Jennifer's eye and winked._

You're him?_ she mouthed. A radiant smile crossed her face, and she pumped her fist in the air. "Go get him, baby!"_

_Rodney grinned. With Jennifer cheering him on (her skirt and blouse morphed into a Chippewa Falls cheerleader outfit), he could take on the world._

_But the honeyed tones of her voice had charmed hero and villain alike. A tentacle shot out, batting Carson aside before winding around Jennifer's slender waist and lifting the struggling girl high above the crowd._

_A cruel smile twisted Ronon's lip as his metallic arm delivered the Midwestern beauty into his clutches. He cackled. "Here's a prize worthier than the nullifier!" The machine he'd been so eager to steal dropped unnoticed to the floor._

_"Unhand me, you brute!" Jennifer cried, beating her fists against the villain's chest. "Rodney! Rodney, save me!"_

_"On my way, Jennifer!" The Smartest Man in Two Galaxies sprang into action, praying he wasn't too late._

_**To be concluded**_

_**Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**_

_**Have a suggestion for a future topic? Let the author know.**_

* * *

_A shorter update than usual, but this scene begged for its own chapter. Chapter 3 goes live on Saturday. Therein confusion will be erased, and all will be revealed._

_**DaletheChu**_, thanks for the suggestion. I know next to nothing about card-based RPGs. Researching it might be fun.

_**ElisaD263**_, the "little blonde buddy" quote actually inspired the story. It had to be included.

_**Jay Say**_, you're right. Being a comic book nerd does make Jennifer quite a bit cooler. I'd say it puts her in "dream girl" territory. Too bad she's fictional, but really, all the good ones are.

Thanks also to _**Artemis Zerc**_, the beta-riffic _**DaniWilder**_, _**Lumpy**_, and _**Whirlwind 421**_ for reviews. They're what keep we writers motivated.


	3. Is Through Comics Part 3

**Disclaimer: **MGM owns SGA; KOI does NOT.

**Note: **Some dialogue adapted from _The Amazing Spider-man_ Vol. 1 No. 53, published October 1967. Spider-man and all related characters are property of Marvel Comics Group. All rights reserved.

**Spoilers: **Quarantine.

Captain Kidd appears courtesy of _**DaniWilder**_, who also beta read this installment.

**Stargate: Atlantis**

**The Way to a Geek's Heart**

**1. Comics**

_**Part 3**_

**by koinekid**

_Late?_ Rodney's eyes snapped open. _Tell me I'm not too late._ Sleep had blurred his vision, and he rubbed at his eyes until he could make out the clock in the lower right corner of his notebook screen. _17:45_, it read, and Rodney released a breath. He had forty-five minutes until the start of his date. Plenty of time for a shower and a leisurely stroll to Jennifer's quarters.

He decided to check the sensor settings one final time before powering down his notebook. To access the program he needed to minimize a PDF file of _Amazing Spider-man_ issue 53. In its pages Spidey's archfoe, Doctor Octopus, had attacked the science expo Peter and Gwen attended with their bespectacled teacher. Rodney had read the comic twice already and was midway through a third reading when he'd fallen asleep at his desk.

That explained the weird dream. He almost regretted the way it ended. Every time he sparred with Ronon in the waking world, Rodney wound up flat on his back. He'd like to have seen his in-dream avatar wipe the smirk off his teammate's face.

The physicist jumped, startled by a knock on his door. He slammed the notebook shut. "Yes?"

"Doc, what are you still doing here?" Air Force Captain Joseph Kidd stood in the doorway, shaking his head. "You're supposed to meet Doctor Keller in ten minutes."

"Ten? I've got forty." Rodney returned to the notebook. "What do you know about our plans anyway?"

"As much as Marie knows," Kidd shot back, advancing unbidden into the room. "And according to my lovely lady friend – who cares enough about her boss to send me here under threat of...well, let's just say a color and a pair of spherical objects were mentioned – all Keller could talk about the entire afternoon was her hot date, which starts in _nine_ minutes."

"That can't be right." Rodney got a sinking feeling.

"Marie was very specific."

"But Jennifer said..." _Eighteen hundred, Rodney. On the dot. _"Oh, hell."

* * *

The transporter doors opened at 1810, and a freshly scrubbed and spritzed Rodney McKay emerged and trotted down the hall. He'd considered picking up his date immediately, but if he planned on spending any time in close proximity to Jennifer, showering was a must. A shave would have been nice too.

He tapped his earwig. "McKay to Keller." Nothing. She hadn't answered his earlier pages either, and Rodney wondered whether he'd blown his chance with the woman of his dreams.

His mind flashed back to the dreamscape, and he envisioned Jennifer in Ronon's clutches. Only this time there were no metal arms, and instead of fighting, they were kissing greedily. Clearly, real-world Ronon was a far greater threat.

Jennifer appeared a moment after Rodney activated her door sensor, and miracle of miracles, she was smiling. "You're late," she said, "but at least you clean up nice."

"I-I tried to call."

"I know." She ran her fingers through his wet hair. "I figured you'd decided to work late, or you'd gotten cold feet. As long as I didn't answer, I knew you'd have to stop by."

Rodney wanted to be irritated but was too busy marveling at her outfit, a dark green checkered skirt and short-sleeved black blouse. With the exception of the black nylons and dark tennis shoes – accents that added to Jennifer's unique allure – her wardrobe was a close replica of what the female heroine in the comic wore. It was the outfit Jennifer had sported in his dream.

That and the obvious care that had gone into her appearance – tastefully applied cosmetics, polished nails, and a headband holding back her golden tresses – made Rodney feel like an even bigger heel for making her wait. But her infectious smile calmed him.

Rodney grinned. "You look incredible – no, amazing."

"This is a proper date after all, and I prefer to dress up a little for my dates." Jennifer smoothed her skirt. "Is it too much?"

"Definitely not. You know I almost wore my uniform."

"Seriously?" She made a face.

He shrugged. "I didn't want to be too forward."

"You think an untucked dress shirt and khakis is forward?" She adjusted the collar and smoothed the shirt against his shoulders. "What am I going to do with you, Rodney?"

_Anything you want. _"Sorry," he said, then, "You'll probably hear that word a lot if we make a habit of this."

"I'll take the risk." She also took his arm.

* * *

Dinner was packed, and Rodney made the gentlemanly offer of allowing Jennifer to sit while he filled their plates. On any other military base the promise of a stunning astronomical phenomenon would be unlikely to capture the interest of this many personnel. But on Atlantis enough soldiers were dating scientists that the meteor shower had become the social event of the season and an early dinner the preferred way to start the evening.

There was a smattering of uniforms scattered throughout the mess, but as Rodney approached his table, he realized he hadn't seen this many people in civilian clothing since his last visit to Earth. It felt like a real night on the town.

Especially when he saw a bigger, stronger guy sitting in his chair and hitting on his date, something that had happened more often than he'd like to admit back in grad school. But Jennifer noticed Rodney's return and told Ronon to take a hike.

"What was that all about?" Rodney said, reclaiming his chair.

"Ronon invited me to watch the meteor shower with him."

"And you told him—?"

Jennifer reached for her dinner. "That I'd gotten a better offer."

Rodney smiled and handed her a fork. Their fingers touched longer than necessary when she accepted it.

* * *

Jennifer's eyes sparkled brighter than the brightest meteor they'd seen that night. After observing the meteor shower for nearly half an hour through the telescope, they'd moved on to the local constellations, the planets, and whatever else caught her fancy. Finally, they settled onto their backs and watched the brief flashes in the sky with bare eyes.

That evening Rodney had to chase off more than one couple hoping to share the balcony. After the third such instance, and to Jennifer's great amusement, Rodney scrawled _Occupied!_ on a balled-up scrap of paper he found in his pocket and affixed it to the outside of the door. He would not tempt fate by disabling the door controls. Besides, since the quarantine last year, _we're stuck in a locked room_ had become the Atlantis equivalent of the old _we've run out of gas_ routine. No way Jennifer would be won with such trickery.

When he settled down beside her, she rested her head against his chest and tickled his ankle with her bare toes. The nylons had been shed earlier in the evening when they first laid on the balcony floor. With gentle words and a kiss on the cheek as reward, she'd persuaded him to lose his shoes and socks as well.

Out of the blue she pressed her lips against his cheek again. Rodney turned to say...something to her. Whatever it was disappeared into the ether when her lips brushed against his. The kiss deepened, and her palm moved to caress his cheek.

With a sigh of pleasure Jennifer drew back to look him in the eye. "I never realized you were so habit-forming." She giggled at what she thought was a private joke before going back for seconds.

When the next kiss ended, Rodney casually remarked, "Like being hooked on pistachio nuts?"

"You read the comic." An expression of undisguised delight spread across her face.

"I borrowed John's DVD Rom. Figured it couldn't hurt." Rodney shook his head. "Actually I asked one of the linguists to explain some of the phrases like _puff a purple peace pipe_ and_ left to the labonza_. The guy had no clue."

"You did research for our date?" Jennifer hugged him tight. "Aww, I knew I picked the right guy."

Rodney chuckled.

"I have a copy in my quarters if you want to read it again." Jennifer nodded toward the door. "We could go right now."

Horror filled Rodney's eyes. "A near mint copy of _Amazing_ 53 is worth around two hundred American dollars—and that's without the signatures. At the very least it should be bagged and boarded."

"Rodney, I'm inviting you back to my quarters, and you're worried about the condition of a comic book?"

"A signed comic," he shot back. Then, "Sorry, you're right—"

She cut him off with a kiss. "You get two sorries per evening. Now, do you want to go to my quarters or not?"

Grinning, Rodney rose and helped her to her feet.

* * *

Something nagged at the back of Rodney's mind on the walk to breakfast the next morning. He knew he should drop it, but he had to know: "Jennifer, you wouldn't actually treat a signed comic like a reading copy, would you?"

"Please, I know enough not to do that." Jennifer sounded almost offended. "It's safe at home on Earth. I have the DVD Rom too."

Rodney breathed a sigh of relief. Even he, comic book newbie that he was, knew that much. Still, "If you're not a fan, why do you have a DVD Rom containing over 500 books?"

"Oh, uh, Uncle George sent it via Dad's last care package."

"Uh-huh. And the outfit you wore last night is copied from issue 53?"

She stopped. "Mostly. The headband is from later issues, and there was a jacket that I—"

"Jennifer, are you a Gwen Stacy cos-player?"

"Rodney." There was an edge to her voice.

"Maybe you've been to a convention or two. Maybe there are ten-year-old pictures of you in that costume on the internet. Along with pictures of your dad as Captain Stacy and your uncle as—"

"Rodney, if you ever want to be allowed into my quarters again, you'll stop right now."

He held up one hand in a placating gesture; the other was intertwined with one of hers. "All I'm saying is, maybe you're not the comic book novice you pretend to be. And that's okay. And kind of sexy."

"_Kind of_ sexy?"

"Very, very sexy."

Jennifer tried to suppress her rapidly forming smile. "It seems you've stumbled upon my darkest secret. How ever will I persuade you to keep it?"

"Never fear, Jennifer." Rodney straightened, puffed out his chest, and thrust out his chin. "We masked avengers are experts at protecting secrets."

Jennifer gave an amused shake of her head. "My hero."

_**The End**_

_**Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated, as are suggestions for further installments.**_

_**Fans of this series might enjoy the author's previous story "Black Dog Blues" which explores how the game of darts alters the course of R and J's relationship.**_

* * *

_Thanks, reviewers._

_**DaniWilder**, Momoa should be honored at an upgrade from Conan to Doc Ock, as accompanying it is a free upgrade from Schwarzenegger to Alfred Molina. Picturing Keller as a cheerleader comes from Rodney's head? Yes, that's right. It's clearly not my fantasy or anything...oh, would you look at the time?_

_**DaletheChu**, suggestions are always welcome and appreciated._

_**Jay Say**, How do they get out of this situation? The easiest way of all. It's all a dream, an imaginary story. But really aren't they all? (Apologies to Alan Moore)_


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